Joyce Marie of Beverly Hills

Secrets of the Solo Esthetician
By:  Rosanne Ullman

Joyce Marie

I’ve owned my business for as long as I’ve been an esthetician—30 years. Back then it took only $10,000 to launch—nothing like now! My father financed me in a room within a Beverly Hills salon. He was the one who named my business, adding the “of Beverly Hills” phrase to attract an upscale clientele and establish a respected reputation. I was 19 years old, the only esthetician among eight hairdressers, and my business grew quickly just from the hair clientele. Soon I added another room, hired a second esthetician and, eventually, took over the salon’s entire upstairs.

After 12 years, I moved to a larger Beverly Hills location, where I hired a receptionist and two more estheticians. The building was new, and people didn’t know about it, so it was a challenge for me to get my name around. This was the big-networking 1990s, so I joined the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network along with three or four other groups. I was always hustling, speaking at the meetings and attending events. I really love teaching, and I looked at those talks as an opportunity to teach women about skin care. Endless networking is a lot of work, but it definitely paid off, and I stayed in that location for eight years. For two of those years I split my time by also working in a plastic surgeon’s office. I’m very organized!

Through this double work experience, I discovered two things about myself. First, while I found the medical field highly educational and full of huge opportunities for estheticians, for me the fun part of esthetics is working in salons. Second, I much preferred the hands-on esthetics work and interaction with clients to the managerial end of the business. I wanted to drop my employees and stop having to worry about what was going on outside my door.

If I was going to work full-time as a solo esthetician, I thought I should move into the exclusive “triangle” part of Beverly Hills, bordered by Rodeo Drive, Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard. I found a great location in the Michaeljohn Salon and Spa, where I’ve been happy now for 10 years. This is the best of both worlds, because I have colleagues in the spa, which is separate from the hair area. I’m with five other independent, seasoned estheticians and two manicurists. I like being around other esthetics professionals who have no impact on my business.

I do all the basic skin care services, but no body massage or body wraps because I have limited space. I’m never bored. Each client has a unique face, personality and set of issues. I love doing facials the most. It’s like being a chemist because I design a personal treatment for each client. I layer services; typically a facial client will also get a foot massage or eyebrow wax, which helps to build income. I always add retail. I was one of Dermalogica’s first estheticians, and I have full confidence in their products.

The timing for this move was perfect for me. I could not have walked into this situation at the beginning of my career; it would have been too difficult to build a clientele. Even now, I’ve found it necessary to hire a marketing consultant to partner with me; I pay her on an hourly basis. After working a 10-hour day, I don’t have the energy to create a marketing plan, and networking has become passe in L.A. The public is so much more savvy than when I started out; people are educated and want information. My marketing director develops promotions and books me into charity events where I can demonstrate procedures and distribute product samples. She’s also professionalizing my website. You can be the best at what you do, but if no one knows it you’ll be sitting around waiting for the phone to ring.

I also have a p.r. person and a bookkeeping service, plus I pay a monthly retainer to a CPA to take care of my receipts. I continue to seek out education through Dermalogica’s resources and other avenues. Always educate yourself, because you come back excited and you don’t feel as old!

After 30 years, I’m somewhat of a brand. People have told me that they’ve heard of my business. But in any business that requires your own labor, there’s a ceiling on your earnings. I can’t raise prices beyond staying competitive. So I’m focusing more on retail. I hope to be selling Dermalogica products online, which could become “passive income” that works for me even when I’m not working. People will see that they’re getting a quality product.